


The Loophole

by CharmStone127



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame (Movie), F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 13:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18621445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharmStone127/pseuds/CharmStone127
Summary: No description yet because I don't want to give spoilers to anyone just innocently scrolling through the listings but if you look at the pairing I'm sure you know how I'm diverging from canon!





	The Loophole

**Author's Note:**

> I saw the midnight of Endgame and was highly upset over what happened, and I very quickly retconned it in my head on the way back to the car. This was written the next day after three hours of sleep. The primary reason was to solidify my new canon in my head and was just on a google docs that I shared with a few friends. After their reactions though I decided to publish it here to help anyone else who is not okay with what happened in the movie!

Without even thinking, he followed her, throwing himself over the edge; he wasn’t going to let her die while there was still something he could do to save her. Letting loose a grapping arrow he twisted, reaching for her hand, but just as he caught hold of her, everything went black.

* * *

 

The first thing he was aware of was that he was lying in water. Had there been water at the bottom of the cliff? No, he didn’t think so. Slowly blinking open his eyes, his brow furrowed as he took in the orange sky above him. With a groan, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, and as he did so he heard the water shifting. Not beside him, where he had disturbed it, but behind him. He turned sharply, ready to launch himself at the red faced man, but his motions were stilled when he saw who it was. There, looking almost as if she was suffering from a rare hangover, was Natasha.

“Nat?” His disbelief carried through in his voice, and brought her head round to face him. The same expression he wore was mirrored on her face; confusion, shock, but most of all relief. 

“What happened?” She spoke quietly, no doubt trying to process it all. “I remember jumping and then…” she broke off, shaking her head. “The stone. Did we get the stone?” 

That was when he felt it; something small and hard in the hand that had grasped Natasha’s as they fell. Lifting it out of the water, he opened his fist, and the two stared silently at the orange gem sitting in his palm.

“I don’t get it.” Natasha was the first to break the silence, voicing what they were both thinking. “I thought…”

“Most people who seek the stones desire their power for themselves.”

Both of them were on their feet in an instance, adopting fighting stances as they stood facing the red man from the clifftop. If he noticed though, he didn’t react, and nor did he make any move to attack. “Others sacrifice what they love out of a desire, a  _ hunger _ , for power. But you two? You don’t want the stone for yourselves, and neither of you were willing to sacrifice the other to get it. You wanted to sacrifice yourselves instead.” He eyed them both in turn before continuing. “Selflessness and love. I may not understand these emotions, but the stones do.” 

“So what does this mean?” Natasha asked, still regarding the man warily and remaining poised to attack. “

“It means, daughter of Ivan, that you may use the stone to restore the world you knew. After that is done, it must be returned. It is safe here.” 

“Not that safe if old nutsack chin got his hands on it,” Clint remarked drily, earning him a half-warning, half-amused look from Natasha before his redheaded partner turned her attention back to the other.

“Thank you,” she nodded.

“Do not thank me. It is the stone that made this decision, not I.” From the look on his face it was clear he would have made a different call, but it simply wasn’t in his power to do so. For that, they had to be thankful. Somehow they were talking away with the stone, and with each other. 


End file.
